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Conservatives Shouldn't Abandon Bush
Townhall.com ^ | July 13, 2007 | Mike Gallagher

Posted on 07/13/2007 5:15:02 AM PDT by Kaslin

Watching a steady stream of Democrats like Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, and Chuck Schumer each take their turn delightedly pummeling President Bush over the war in Iraq today, I couldn’t help but think of fellow conservatives who are starting to give aid and comfort to these Democrat Party loyal oppositionists.

According to Byron York of the National Review, the Republican Party base has simply decided to throw Mr. Bush under the wheels of the bus. Since so many of us disagree with him on things like illegal immigration and Scooter Libby, York opines that a whole bunch of Republican loyalists are practically counting the days until Jan. 20, 2009, when a new commander-in-chief takes up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Other conservative voices are jumping on the Bush-bashing bandwagon. The other night on Fox News, I saw a radio host proclaim that the president’s soft stance on illegals has cost him support for the war in Iraq.

Just what, precisely, is the point?

Why do conservatives believe that trashing the Bush Administration’s efforts on everything from this complicated war to a commutation of a vice-presidential aide will accomplish anything but give Democrats more ammunition against the GOP in 2008

Look, I’m as disappointed in this administration’s attempted amnesty for illegals as anyone. But I looked President Bush in the eye in the Oval Office and saw a man who truly believes in his heart that giving illegals a “path to citizenship” is the right thing to do.

I believe he’s wrong. But I know that this good and decent man believes he’s right.

So because of this issue, I’m supposed to abandon my president?

I’m expected to go on radio and TV and give miserable attack dogs like Dick Durbin more ways to say, “See -- even Republican supporters of Bush are defecting!”?

From the day the bombs started dropping on Baghdad, President Bush kept telling us that nothing about this war would be easy. Our nation has never attempted something as bold as installing democracy in this troubled part of the world and attempting to make a country like Iraq stable enough so that they can handle their own terrorists without our intervention.

Simply put, the vast majority of Americans supported our country’s pre-emptive strike. The longer this battle rages, the more we see impatient Americans start complaining. I guess that’s what a society in a Tivo/Iphone era does.

And I certainly expect that from Democrats who blame George W. Bush for everything from hurricanes to health care.

But I think it takes some guts to stand behind a president who is doing what he believes to be right, even in the face of enormous opposition.

Liberals are emboldened by Republican-fueled criticism. And if good folks like Byron York aren’t careful, we’ll be handing over the White House on a silver platter to Hillary or Barack. After all, just how far can Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson distance themselves from the Bush Administration?

Liberals are emboldened by Republican-fueled criticism. And if good folks like Byron York aren’t careful, we’ll be handing over the White House on a silver platter to Hillary or Barack. After all, just how far can Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson distance themselves from the Bush Administration?

Besides, who really wants to be on the same side of the political fence as Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy…or Betty Williams?

Betty Williams won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for creating a group that helped initiate peace talks in Northern Ireland. This week, she was the keynote speaker at The International Women’s Peace Conference in Dallas. According to the Dallas Morning News, during her speech she told the thousand or so attendees, “Right now, I could kill George Bush.” The paper said she went on to demand his impeachment since “the Muslim world right now is suffering beyond belief” as a result of this administration’s foreign policy.

What a woman of peace. That’s some “peace conference.”

I’m not sure what would happen if an American traveled to Northern Ireland and expressed a desire to kill Mary McAleese, the current President of Ireland. I doubt that such an opinion would be met with cheers and a standing ovation, as was reported had occurred when the Nobel laureate said what she said in Dallas.

And when we tracked Betty Williams down and put her on my radio show, I was shocked to hear her claim that any published report that quoted her as saying, “Right now, I could kill George Bush” was lying. I reminded her that according to numerous published reports, she used the exact same phrase in a July 24, 2006 speech to schoolchildren at the Brisbane City Hall. At that point in the interview, she sounded totally defeated and said she not only “regretted” saying it, when I asked her if she was sorry for saying it, she said she was. In fact, the Dallas Morning News sent me the audio of the speech which confirms their reporting of Ms. Williams comments about the president.

You can hear my interview with this awful woman at www.mikeonline.com.

People like Betty Williams and Michael Moore and Nancy Pelosi and Keith Olbermann and so many others on the left have made it quite clear what they think of George W. Bush. They teem with hatred and contempt.

They sure don’t need to get any assistance from us. Now, more than ever, we ought to stand behind President Bush.

But if people on the left OR right don’t want to support him these days, I have a heartfelt reminder: November of 2008 will be here soon enough.

Until then, how about getting off the president’s back?


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: amnesty; bashbotbait; bbs; bds; bush; bushbotbait; bushbotslaststand; conservatives; gop; mikegallagher; republican; republicanbase; term2; vampirebill
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To: JeffAtlanta

“Did you give Bill Clinton your undying support when he deployed troops?”

That one’s gonna sting, and not just for Alissa.

Nicely done.


301 posted on 07/13/2007 9:40:52 AM PDT by Anonymous Rex ( For Rent)
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To: kabar
A RINO is still better than a Dem when it comes to controlling Congress and setting the agenda.

By voting for non-conservative republicans, it just moves the party further and further to the left. Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward.

The exception to this is when it is a Republican running if a very liberal state. In that case, you go for the most conservative guy that is electable.

302 posted on 07/13/2007 9:42:38 AM PDT by JeffAtlanta
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To: Hydroshock

I voted for him twice and I don’t regret it one bit. Perhaps when Hillary gets elected in 2008 and signs are out there that she will, you wished President Bush were still president


303 posted on 07/13/2007 9:43:17 AM PDT by Kaslin (Fred Thompson for President 2008)
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To: Valin; Anonymous Rex

Kinda flames you when Presidente Jorge is addressed in Hispanican format?


304 posted on 07/13/2007 9:43:27 AM PDT by azhenfud (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: BobS

A foreign country that will be a base for terrorists if we should leave? That would encourage the growth of more terrorist nations that figure if they can wait us out they’ll be allowed to prosper? And they’d probably be right since we would have withdrawn TWICE when challenged in Vietnam and in Iraq.

Yeah, this is about much more then securing a foreign country’s security. It’s about securing our own security a piece at a time rather then allowing the terrorists to expand their territory not unlike Hitler expanded his. Allowing Hitler’s expansion really worked out well for us, didn’t it.

Look, I completely support enforcing our borders and I do believe it undercuts the admin’s claims that they making us more secure with this war, when they turn a blind eye to the activities on the coasts, northern and Southern borders. But that doesn’t mean they are wrong with the policy in the M.E., other then proclaiming Islam is a religion of Peace and allowing some PC folks to hold our forces back more then they need to be. They are right about the war. They are WRONG about the borders.

I support the war, and I refuse to withdraw that support just because of their obstinance about the borders.

Where I diverge from the author is that in supporting the war, I must shut up about G.W.B. and support him uncondtionally. I won’t do that. He ruined that bond when he attacked conservatives.


305 posted on 07/13/2007 9:45:11 AM PDT by Soul Seeker (MR. BUSH: GET OUT OF REAGAN'S HOUSE!!)
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To: William Terrell
Even the worse despots in the history of mankind defended their country. We should be a little bit more particular.

Excellent point and I hope the WOT-bots will let it sink in.

306 posted on 07/13/2007 9:45:39 AM PDT by JeffAtlanta
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To: Designer
[.. I see by your post that you don't know anything about the John Birch Society. ..]

I didn't 100% right.. but mostly right..
I can see you know little or nothing about them..

307 posted on 07/13/2007 9:47:31 AM PDT by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole....)
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To: EYEAU
Why is Jorge Bush in favor of favor of legalizing illegal alien gang members and other criminals during a global war against terrorism?

Why is Jorge Bush in favor of bi-lingual border patrol agents with strong national and family ties to Mexico over true American citizens to guard our southern border?

BTTT

308 posted on 07/13/2007 9:48:02 AM PDT by Borax Queen
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To: Anonymous Rex; Valin
If he doesn’t mind using hispanic names in his personal life I don’t see why you or anyone else are in a position to argue that it shouldn’t be done with respect to his political life.

ditto!

309 posted on 07/13/2007 9:52:18 AM PDT by nicmarlo
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To: laurie_d
[.. I stand alone sometimes supporting President Bush on a website that’s supposedly full of conservatives. And I stand alone, PROUDLY supporting our President and Commander in Chief. ..]

Son of "READ MY LIPS NO NEW TAXES"... has been wrong from the beginning.. It must be not chance that he resembles Alfred E. Neuman, greatly..

310 posted on 07/13/2007 9:52:40 AM PDT by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole....)
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To: Do Be
The troops are not fighting a war. They could have easily won a war a long time ago.

Yeah they could have won the war if it weren't for the rats and the anti war crowd who are encouraging el Qaeda and the other terrorist organizations. Why do you think the terrorists cheered when the rats won in 2006. It sure wasn't because they loke them better. It was because they know when there is another attack the liberals won't do a thing about it.

If it was necessary to go to war with Iraq then we should have declared war, fought a war, won a war and moved on.

You do realize the last time Congress declared war was in WWII, don't you?

311 posted on 07/13/2007 9:53:43 AM PDT by Kaslin (Fred Thompson for President 2008)
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To: DevSix

Very well said, and I agree.


312 posted on 07/13/2007 9:55:58 AM PDT by lonevoice (It's always "Apologize to a Muslim Hour"...somewhere)
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To: kabar; laurie_d
...Bush’s stance on immigration in 2000 and 2004. It has changed how?

Bush said he would never support amnesty, yet that is exactly what the Senate bill was in 2006 and 2007.
------
Another change or abandonment was when Bush signed McCain-Feingold.

Bush had previously stated that any campaign finance reform must adhere to a set of 6~9 principles which he listed. McCain-Feingold broke every principle that Bush had listed. He ignored his pledge and his base voters and joined with Teddy Kennedy and the liberals at the NYT and WaPo when he signed McCain-Feingold into law.

313 posted on 07/13/2007 9:57:23 AM PDT by RJL
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To: Hydroshock

Blame Congress on the runaway spending, not the president. Only congress can spend the money. You do know, don’t you that if he threatens to veto a bill and the veto can be overriden the bill becomes law anyway?


314 posted on 07/13/2007 9:59:23 AM PDT by Kaslin (Fred Thompson for President 2008)
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To: Kaslin
Blame Congress on the runaway spending, not the president. Only congress can spend the money.

Yet Reagan vetoed many bills - some were overridden but he tried. If Bush didn't want the money spent then there is no way his own party would override him.

In fact, Bush is the one who proposed most of the spending and the new programs.

315 posted on 07/13/2007 10:01:31 AM PDT by JeffAtlanta
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To: laurie_d
Bush was always one to work across the aisle. That hasn’t changed.

Bush now seems to prefer "working across the aisle" than dancing with those who brought him to the dance.

The band is packing up and it's last call, now Bush wants our support. Yeah, good luck buddy.

316 posted on 07/13/2007 10:02:50 AM PDT by RJL
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To: Kaslin
You do realize the last time Congress declared war was in WWII, don't you?

It is also the last time we've defeated an enemy as well. Funny how those two things coincide.

317 posted on 07/13/2007 10:03:05 AM PDT by JeffAtlanta
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To: Kaslin; Valin; LucyJo; nuconvert; Suzy Quzy; AmusedBystander

The one the Bush haters have been railing against on this thread really is beside the point. Laurie something was her handle. They got to hate some more, though, as it was clear they hated her, and they got to hate US, and they even threw in shots at howlin, nopardons, and ohiowfan who aren’t even here to defend themselves anymore.

Disgusting cowards.

I don’t identify myself with every comment made by any of those people, just as I don’t agree with every remark or policy of our President. So when they try to lump everyone into one group so they can target their hatred more simplisticly, they really haven’t a clue. They don’t need one, in their minds. Just a target to unleash their hate.

I agree with Mike Gallagher’s point. I always think in terms of the heroic men and women over in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Phillipines and the Horn of Africa and even more secret places who are fighting and dying and being maimed in this war. I think of my sure knowledge that the President is a rock on what he believes, that he conducts himself publicly as a gentlemen, tries to be a Christian and has a compassionate heart. So that when I disagree with him I know he doesn’t deserve my disrespect and devolved hatred...which is what happened to these folks...they started with disrespect (which they blamed on President Bush himself...respect is EARNED, they blather, and if he didn’t earn MY respect then he deserves MY disrespect, which devolved into contempt and then into pure hate speech.) and ended in the gutter with DU, Rosie, Cindy Sheehan and the impeacher du jour John Conyers.

It’s all about THEM. Their inexcusable behaviour is all someone else’s fault for what was first done to THEM. Now, their standards for their own behaviour towards the President and CIC of our beloved country and troops are lower than dirt but they’re not only not ashamed, they’re loving it because, after all, IT WAS BUSH’S FAULT.

Wrong. It’s not what happens to you in life, it’s what you do with what happens to you that defines what kind of person you are.

I choose to support my President and the CIC especially in this critical time, and with our best and finest in the field fighting for all I hold dear. I choose to remember that I have been mistaken at times even when I meant well and was totally convinced of something, and that didn’t make me deserving to be treated like dirt and it doesn’t make our President deserve it either.

The people who are doing this are punishing America, our soldiers who are fighting willingly for their CIC, the Republican Party and the Conservative Cause (in the long run, we don’t win by destroying this President alongside the Dem and Media and Hollywood elite liberal destroyers of this President. We lose. America loses).

I proudly take my cue from a man like Duncan Hunter. He disagrees strongly with the President but always conducts himself well toward the President. He supports the President whereever he can support him. He respects the President as a human being, man, American, President and CIC.

It comforts me that I support a man who stands so much taller than some of the supporters even here on this thread who claim him as their presidential candidate.

Duncan Hunter sets a perfect example that desperately needs to be followed.


318 posted on 07/13/2007 10:08:45 AM PDT by txrangerette (Congressman Duncan Hunter for POTUS...check him out!!)
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To: Anonymous Rex
Oooooh good one Kaslin. Too bad I’ve been here since 2000 and chose to abandon my old screen name in favor of one less specific.

You better check my post in #283 it was not addressed to you, unless you are also philman_36. Now which are you?

319 posted on 07/13/2007 10:14:23 AM PDT by Kaslin (Fred Thompson for President 2008)
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To: nuconvert

No you are not. Mike Gallagher is exactly right


320 posted on 07/13/2007 10:15:19 AM PDT by Kaslin (Fred Thompson for President 2008)
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